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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — of a king
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — soda
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. court — for sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a line of people

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