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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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for golf
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — a group
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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