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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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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: mug · march · chair · bark · pop · wake · spell · arm

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. march — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a leader
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mug — a face
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pop — soda
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. spell — letters
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — magic

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