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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — a break
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — to bear
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ground — crushed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. clip — a video
  24. roll — a list

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