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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — the amount
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — an amount
  17. roll — a list
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fine — all right
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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