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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — in music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — to bear
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — magic
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — a thing
  20. spell — letters
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spell — a short time

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