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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. craft — a skill
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — soda
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — size or range
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pop — music
  16. ground — a position
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. scale — in music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pass — a permit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spell — a short time

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