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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bark — to shout
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. track — a path
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. bulb — for light
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bowl — a dish

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