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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — a path
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a skill

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