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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for dancing
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — for golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. swing — music

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