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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — the season
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — a list
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — letters

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