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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — rain
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — a break
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. key — for a lock
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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