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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. degree — from a university
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. file — a line of people
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — temperature
  12. present — a gift
  13. season — in sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. season — of the year
  19. degree — an amount
  20. file — a document
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — there
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bark — of a tree

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