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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bark — to shout
  9. content — happy
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of a king
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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