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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. can — a tin
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — a tin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fine — all right
  11. pound — a weight
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. can — to be able to
  23. court — of law
  24. bark — to shout

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