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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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468
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — in sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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