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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — a group
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — for dancing
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fine — all right

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