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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. key — in music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a cake
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. game — wild animals
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a list
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. date — the fruit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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