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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. object — to protest
  5. branch — a division
  6. key — for a lock
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. object — an aim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. ground — the earth
  23. drill — army training
  24. bat — for baseball

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