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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kid — child
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. object — a thing
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — an aim
  22. pitch — completely
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. prune — the fruit

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