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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — a match
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. content — the amount
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — in sport
  14. club — for dancing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bear — the animal

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