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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bark — to shout
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. track — a path
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — steady
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. track — a song
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. craft — boats
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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