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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — a series
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. key — the most important part
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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