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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. track — to keep track
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. degree — from a university
  24. safe — a strongbox

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