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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rule — a law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. foot — a measure
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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