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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — in music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — to go on
  24. wave — of the sea

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