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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chest — of your body
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — a box
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — thin
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. lean — to rest against

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