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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — for pool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a signal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — boats
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — in football
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bowl — a football final

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