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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 120 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: bark · root · can · drill · mate · key · bay · bowl

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — to breed
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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