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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — of a river
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. pound — a weight
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — for money

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