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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — to shout
  18. squash — to crush
  19. spring — the season
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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