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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — of water
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. current — happening now
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — electric
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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