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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. charge — in control
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — boats
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — to protest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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