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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. press — newspapers
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. game — a match
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. current — of water
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a music group
  13. bound — obliged
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — certain
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — electric
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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