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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — in control
  11. drill — army training
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. charge — a price
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bark — 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