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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — a cup
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. file — a document
  12. present — there
  13. lean — to bend
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — thin
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a face
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. game — a match

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