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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. march — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. can — to be able to
  13. march — the month
  14. ground — a position
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ball — a great time
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — in geometry

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