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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ground — crushed
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a ring
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a music group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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