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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bark — to shout
  9. game — wild animals
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pound — a weight
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. game — a match
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cap — a hat
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. saw — the tool

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