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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for golf

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