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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. scale — in music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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