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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.

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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wound — an injury
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. craft — boats
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wound — an injury
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — for light
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. present — a gift
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — there

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