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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — a weight
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — for digging
  24. calf — a young animal

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