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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pitch — completely
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. craft — boats
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a handicraft

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