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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — to shout
  6. current — of water
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. court — of a king
  13. last — finally
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. last — final
  19. court — of law
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — a lid
  23. last — to go on
  24. bear — to put up with

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