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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cell — a phone
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — the amount
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. content — happy
  14. cell — in biology
  15. object — a thing
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — to protest
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. craft — a skill
  24. content — videos and posts

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