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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. spell — letters
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spell — magic
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — hurry
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bay — a horse colour

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