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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. key — in music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. staff — employees
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — in football
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. staff — employees
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bass — low music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fork — in a road
  20. staff — a stick
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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