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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — a gift
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. present — there
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mouse — the animal

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