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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cap — a hat
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cue — a signal

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