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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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