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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mate — a friend
  11. roll — a list
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. current — happening now
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — clothes
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mate — to breed
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ground — a position
  24. mate — a partner

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