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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — in football
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — the earth
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ground — a position
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ground — crushed

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