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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cold — an illness
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — not warm
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — a hole
  17. vault — a safe
  18. craft — boats
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bowl — a dish

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