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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. field — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. spell — magic
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. cell — in a prison

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