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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bark — to shout
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — a hint

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