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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. degree — an amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — to shout
  12. content — the amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. fan — a supporter

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