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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in biology
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fine — all right
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — thin
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — high quality
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — temperature
  17. roll — a cake
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — a phone

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