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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to click
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. capital — money
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. capital — a city
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. key — in 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