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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bark — to shout
  5. content — happy
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. present — there
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. current — of water
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. key — in music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — a weight
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wound — an injury

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