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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. key — in music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pop — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — low music
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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