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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for golf
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — music
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — a group
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — soda
  18. bark — to shout
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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