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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. row — to paddle
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. can — to be able to
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. march — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. drill — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — a line
  20. key — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bark — to shout

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