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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. spell — magic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mine — an explosive

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