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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a document
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a line of people
  23. pitch — completely
  24. safe — a strongbox

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