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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. club — for dancing
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ground — a position
  24. bark — to shout

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