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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — a gift
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — electric
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — a position
  11. rock — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — there
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — of water
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rock — a stone
  23. ground — the earth
  24. club — for golf

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