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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. spell — letters
  3. content — happy
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. content — the amount
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. spell — a short time
  18. current — electric
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bark — to shout

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