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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. club — a group
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — to shout
  24. file — a document

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