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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. bark — to shout
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of a king
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — steady
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. track — a path
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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