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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a hat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. shower — to wash
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — a committee
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — rain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — to shout
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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