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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — bread
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. current — electric
  9. bark — to shout
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. object — to protest
  12. current — of water
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mate — a partner
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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