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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — for a lock
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. roll — a cake
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pop — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. roll — a list

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