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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. club — a group
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — a trail
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — to shout
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — for dancing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — the amount
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — happy

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