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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pit — in a race
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. content — happy
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — to be able to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a dance
  10. can — a tin
  11. key — in music
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — for a lock
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. capital — a city
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. capital — money
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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