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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. season — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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