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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — a weight
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rest — a break
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — for golf
  17. ground — crushed
  18. club — a group
  19. ground — the earth
  20. file — a document
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bark — of a tree

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