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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — a cake
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — the sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — to shout
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a dance
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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