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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. present — there
  4. craft — boats
  5. scale — in music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. row — to paddle
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. key — the most important part
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — size or range
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. roll — a list
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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