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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. track — a song
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. lean — to bend
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a great time

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