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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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