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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. shower — to wash
  11. present — a gift
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — there
  24. chair — to sit on

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