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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. key — the most important part
  4. club — a group
  5. kid — child
  6. club — for dancing
  7. firm — decided
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for golf
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kid — to tease
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — in music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. firm — a company

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