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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: leaves · bark · bowl · rule · last · prune · pitcher · bear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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