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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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