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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. net — after costs
  15. roll — a list
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. band — a music group
  19. roll — a cake
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a ring

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