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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — soda
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pop — music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a trace
  24. staff — a stick

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