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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — a weight
  10. last — final
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — to go on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bark — to shout
  20. object — an aim
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — finally
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. object — to protest

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