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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mark — a trace
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — to shout
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. face — to confront
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. can — a tin

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