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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 116 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.

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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ground — a position
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — decided
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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