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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — in cards
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — clothes
  24. racket — for tennis

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