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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — the season
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. spring — a coil
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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