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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chair — a leader
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — to tease
  5. swing — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — a trace
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. swing — in golf

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