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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — for a lock

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