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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rule — a law
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. bark — to shout
  9. present — the time now
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. content — happy
  15. field — a subject
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. field — for sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — in geometry

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