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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. firm — a company
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. file — a document
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — for light
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — decided
  19. foot — a measure
  20. file — a tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — to shout

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