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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — decided
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fine — high quality
  9. current — happening now
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bark — to shout
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — all right
  23. current — of water
  24. arm — part of the body

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