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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: roll · rash · leaves · ball · bark · pitch · row · temple

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — completely
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. roll — a list
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. temple — a place of worship

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