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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rush — hurry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. club — for golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — in music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. key — the most important part
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rush — a thrill

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