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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — to shout
  18. last — to go on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — finally

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