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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: bark · cue · mug · object · row · bowl · date · cabinet

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. object — to protest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — a face
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. date — the fruit
  14. object — a thing
  15. row — a line
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bark — of a tree

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