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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. band — a ring
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. track — to keep track
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a music group

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