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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: row · dip · rock · coach · craft · bark · sharp · bowl

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. craft — boats
  17. rock — music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. craft — a skill
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. rock — to move gently

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