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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. firm — decided
  5. hand — help
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — in music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pitch — completely

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