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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pass — a permit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — to shout
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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