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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — tied together
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — a line
  24. mate — a partner

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