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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — to shout
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — to crush
  15. last — finally
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. club — a group
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. club — for dancing

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