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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — there
  5. object — to protest
  6. present — the time now
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. object — a thing
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — money
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a city

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