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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: land · track · calf · bark · suit · bowl · bear · temple

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — to come down
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. track — a path
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — of the leg

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