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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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 — a football final
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to point toward
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. row — a line
  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