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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — steady
  5. net — in sport
  6. file — a document
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — a company
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. net — after costs
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. file — a tool
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — for spectators

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