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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — a signal
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. field — a subject
  24. wake — before a funeral

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