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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — to bear
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — electric
  21. rock — music
  22. hand — help
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ground — the earth

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