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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — of the year
  12. stock — goods
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. key — for a lock
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. season — in sport

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