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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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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 · mug · ball · lie · land · pitcher · bat · foot

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. land — to come down
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bat — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a face
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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