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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 116 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 · can · cap · deal · bark · row · kid · squash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cap — of ice
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — to shout
  6. key — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. squash — the sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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