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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. present — there
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a song
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bound — certain
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. track — a path
  24. bass — the instrument

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