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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — to shout
  4. roll — a list
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a friend

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