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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.

Make a worksheet

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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — in music
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — a country
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. land — ground
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — to come down
  16. scale — in music
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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