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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — a position
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — low music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wound — an injury
  24. march — the month

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