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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — the season
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. net — for catching
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. rule — government
  21. pass — a permit
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. net — in sport

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