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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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. land — to come down
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — a country
  13. court — of a king
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — for sport
  19. land — ground
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — the season

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