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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — in music
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — part of the body

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