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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — certain
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — the earth
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — crushed
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ground — a position
  22. bark — to shout
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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