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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stock — goods
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to click
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — all right
  9. march — music
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bark — to shout
  15. march — the month
  16. board — a committee
  17. scale — size or range
  18. march — the month
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — in music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. key — in music
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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