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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — steady
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. land — to come down
  13. firm — a company
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. prune — to trim
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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