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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — a hint
  17. court — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — of a king
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of law

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