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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — a path
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — for betting
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. present — the time now
  12. key — in music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. can — to be able to
  17. present — there
  18. chip — to eat
  19. present — a gift
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — a tin

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