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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — soda
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rule — government
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rule — a law
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — to shout

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