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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chest — a box
  10. march — the month
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chest — of your body

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