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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bank — of a river
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — a phone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — in music
  21. content — happy
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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