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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ground — crushed
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — the season
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — electric

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