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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pop — soda
  15. file — a tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a document
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

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