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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bark — to shout
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cap — a hat
  17. track — a song
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. track — a path

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