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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mate — a partner
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for golf
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mate — a friend
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — to eat

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