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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pop — soda
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — low music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bound — certain
  13. drill — army training
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rest — a break
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rest — what's left
  24. key — for a lock

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