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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — clothes
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. suit — to fit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. key — in music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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