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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. present — there
  4. bore — to tire
  5. present — the time now
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rush — hurry
  10. present — a gift
  11. bark — to shout
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — music
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. march — the month
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. key — in music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pop — soda
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bore — gave birth

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