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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — a group
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — soda

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