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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. content — the amount
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. degree — an amount
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pitch — completely
  18. present — there
  19. degree — temperature
  20. present — a gift
  21. content — happy
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. bark — to shout

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