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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: march · hide · key · bark · racket · chip · safe · cap

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. march — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cap — a lid
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — in music
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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