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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — to shout
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. net — in sport
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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