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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — all right

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