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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — money
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. capital — a city
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — animal skin

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