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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — happy
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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