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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. current — happening now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. date — the fruit
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cap — a hat
  17. firm — a company
  18. field — farmland
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — electric
  21. lean — to bend
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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