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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — the most important part
  5. scale — size or range
  6. board — a committee
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — to bear
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. field — for sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. field — a subject
  22. mark — a grade
  23. field — farmland
  24. stand — for spectators

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