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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — music
  24. court — for sport

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