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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. bark — to shout
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. toast — bread
  16. march — music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — a grade
  19. firm — steady
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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