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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. dip — to sink
  3. key — in music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — for a lock
  9. saw — the tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. content — happy
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. content — the amount
  23. field — farmland
  24. bark — to shout

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