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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. key — the most important part
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — in football
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. key — in music

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