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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — to shout
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. suit — clothes
  17. scale — size or range
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com