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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. field — farmland
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. field — a subject
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. field — for sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — an eyelash

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