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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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