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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — to handle
  7. track — a path
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. track — to keep track

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