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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. content — the amount
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — happy
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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