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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — for a lock
  10. march — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a committee
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chip — for betting
  24. race — a contest

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