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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on

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