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

Word bank: prune · bark · arm · bay · bowl · ball · cold · fine

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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