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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. game — a match
  20. mark — a trace
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — clothes

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