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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — to sink
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a hint
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for golf
  15. date — the fruit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — on the calendar

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