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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. swing — in golf
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. field — farmland
  6. swing — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — tied together
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — for sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. track — to keep track
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bear — the animal

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