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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — the underground
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pop — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mark — a grade
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. dip — a sauce

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