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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. file — a document
  15. key — for a lock
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — to get on

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