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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. present — there
  21. swing — to play on
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — the sport

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