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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. staff — a stick
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — employees
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — a song
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — to keep track
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ground — a position
  22. rash — a series
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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