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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. track — a path
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bound — certain
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bound — obliged
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. perch — for a bird

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