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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. ground — crushed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ground — a position
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. net — in sport
  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