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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. key — in music
  6. rule — government
  7. craft — a skill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — there
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. key — for a lock
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bark — to shout
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — a gift
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. present — the time now

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