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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. field — farmland
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. field — a subject
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. saw — the tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — a hint

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