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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. net — in sport
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — completely
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mate — a friend
  18. net — for catching
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mate — to breed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. content — happy

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