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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — the time now
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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