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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — in music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. march — music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ground — a position
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. march — the month
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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