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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. land — to come down
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — a strongbox

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