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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. row — to paddle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. row — a quarrel

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