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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bark — to shout
  4. season — in sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. mug — a face
  11. season — of the year
  12. chip — for betting
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — letters
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chip — in a computer

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