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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a hint
  9. last — final
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — in music
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. last — to go on
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — a thing

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