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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bark — to shout

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