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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · cue · snap · bark · rock · rash · ground · toast

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — for a lock

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