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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rash — a series
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — hasty
  22. charge — in control
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wake — a trail

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