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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. swing — music
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. swing — in golf
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — in music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. net — in sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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