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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. deal — to handle
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. date — the fruit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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