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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — obliged
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — magic
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. dip — to sink
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. bound — tied together

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