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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pop — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. key — the most important part
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. spell — magic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — soda

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