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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — an aim
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — happening now
  19. lie — to recline
  20. current — of water
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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