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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — of water
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — electric
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a path
  24. kick — in football

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