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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
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: stick · game · bark · bowl · land · cabinet · wax · present

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — a gift
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — a country
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — to shout
  16. present — there
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. game — a match
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — to grow
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. game — a kind of play

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