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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — a position
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a song
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ground — the earth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — crushed

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