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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — for sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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