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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — a song
  6. bound — obliged
  7. court — of a king
  8. bound — certain
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. track — to keep track
  18. court — of law
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. court — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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