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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. land — ground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — for a lock
  24. land — a country

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