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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ground — a position
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — to shout
  17. key — in music
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — a break
  23. key — the most important part
  24. scale — in music

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