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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fork — in a road
  9. club — a group
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — the season
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — a garden tool

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