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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. court — of law
  3. club — for golf
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — music
  9. court — of a king
  10. suit — to fit
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — there
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a document
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bark — to shout
  21. present — the time now
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — in cards

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