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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — to shout
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stand — to bear
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. track — a path
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ball — a dance
  23. face — to confront
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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