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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — for a lock
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — the most important part
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a song
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — a country
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. club — for golf
  17. fine — all right
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bark — to shout

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