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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — an aim
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. degree — an amount
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — a hint
  23. can — a tin
  24. degree — from a university

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