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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — a weight
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bark — to shout
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a signal
  14. spring — of water
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — a coil
  21. content — happy
  22. branch — a division
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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