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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · craft · board · key · bark · rule · pop · tube

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. key — for a lock
  4. tube — a container
  5. pop — to visit
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — to get on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a skill
  12. key — in music
  13. craft — boats
  14. pop — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rule — government
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. board — a committee

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