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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — to get on
  7. pound — a weight
  8. object — an aim
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. object — a thing
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bat — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. object — to protest

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