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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — boats
  4. club — a group
  5. file — a tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — for golf
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a document
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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