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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pit — in a race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — a hole

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