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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — soda
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — to protest
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mark — to pay attention

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