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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bark — to shout
  13. press — to push
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. press — a publisher
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — goods

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