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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. content — the amount
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — government
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — happy
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. key — for a lock
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a committee
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. key — the most important part

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