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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. dip — to sink
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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