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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. board — a committee
  20. swing — in golf
  21. can — a tin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. swing — 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