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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. net — for catching
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — boats
  13. cold — an illness
  14. net — in sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — after costs
  24. cold — not warm

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