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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. field — farmland
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to click
  14. key — in music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. roll — a cake
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — to shout
  24. roll — a list

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