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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rash — a series
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. chair — a leader
  10. present — a gift
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — the time now
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. present — there
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. bank — for money

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