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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — certain
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. club — a group
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. face — to confront
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — tied together

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