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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bank — of a river
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — an amount
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pit — in a race
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — for money
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pop — music

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