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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. net — for catching
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — decided
  20. row — a line
  21. net — after costs
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — a young animal

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