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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bark — to shout
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bat — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — in a road
  21. stand — to bear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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