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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship

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