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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pass — a permit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bark — to shout
  19. squash — the sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — the bottom

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