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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — to visit
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — to crush
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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