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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — in music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pop — music
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pop — soda
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bowl — a football final
  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