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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. key — in music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. bark — to shout
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fall — to drop

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