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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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 — to handle
  3. rule — a law
  4. bark — to shout
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. current — electric
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — government
  15. current — happening now
  16. field — a subject
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. field — farmland

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