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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — a match
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. pop — to visit

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