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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. row — to paddle
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. land — to come down
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mark — a trace
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. land — a country
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — a line
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — a tight spot

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