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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — to crush
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bark — to shout
  9. can — a tin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rule — government
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — a law
  20. can — to be able to
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bark — of a tree

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