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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 found your soul ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. staff — employees
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rash — hasty
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — a series
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — obliged

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