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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bound — certain
  6. present — there
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — a gift
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — a song
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — to keep track
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bound — tied together

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