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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cap — of ice
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. content — happy
  15. cap — a hat
  16. row — a line
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bowl — a dish

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