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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — soda
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. march — the month

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