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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — moving air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — to shout
  23. firm — decided
  24. deal — a big deal

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