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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bark — to shout
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — to paddle
  15. game — wild animals
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — obliged
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bound — certain
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. game — a match

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