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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — the time now
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — soda
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — a stick

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