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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. march — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — in music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mate — to breed
  11. march — the month
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. track — a path
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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