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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. roll — a list
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — a position
  5. snap — to click
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tube — a container
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a cake
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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