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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · temple · bark · track · bear · pound · content · game

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. game — wild animals
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. game — a match
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — happy
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. content — the amount

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