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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · object · lie · ground · band · pitcher · rest · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. band — a music group
  4. object — to protest
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — a thing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ground — a position
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. object — an aim
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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