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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — to play on
  9. perch — the fish
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bark — to shout
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pound — for dogs
  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