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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. drill — a practice
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — there
  21. rest — what's left
  22. drill — army training
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rest — a break

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