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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. key — in music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rest — a break
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — the most important part
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bass — low music
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a grade

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