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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — a weight
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. staff — a stick
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. march — music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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