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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a match
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. hand — help
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mug — a face

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