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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stock — goods
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — a group
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — music
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pop — to visit
  24. deal — an agreement

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