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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. prune — to trim
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. craft — a skill
  10. content — the amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — happy
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. prune — to trim
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. roll — a cake

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