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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: clip · bowl · object · mug · deal · chair · game · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — a match
  7. mug — a face
  8. chair — a leader
  9. object — to protest
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. clip — a video
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. mug — a cup
  16. object — a thing
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — wild animals
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — an aim
  23. game — a kind of play
  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