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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. content — the amount
  21. file — a tool
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — on the calendar

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