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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a match
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. face — to confront
  20. key — in music
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — to put up with

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