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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. firm — a company
  9. cold — not warm
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for golf
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — certain
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — a weight
  23. club — a group
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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