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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pop — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. pop — soda
  17. track — to keep track
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pop — to visit
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mine — for digging

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