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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. suit — to fit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — hasty
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a ring
  23. fine — high quality
  24. suit — in cards

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