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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. object — a thing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. object — an aim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — in music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bark — to shout
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cold — not warm
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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