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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. bark — to shout
  4. key — for a lock
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mate — a partner
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mate — a friend
  24. land — to come down

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