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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — there
  8. degree — temperature
  9. drill — army training
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — to shout
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — a gift
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — a practice
  16. club — a group
  17. present — the time now
  18. ground — crushed
  19. club — for golf
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — of a tree

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