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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fine — all right
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — 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