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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. face — to point toward
  3. firm — steady
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — a company
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. drill — army training

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