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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — the time now
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — there
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. object — to protest
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — in music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. object — a thing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — music

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