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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spell — magic
  3. march — music
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitch — completely
  10. craft — boats
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — a signal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — the month

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