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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · date · current · mine · rock · chest · key · perch

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rock — a stone
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bark — to shout
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. date — the fruit
  23. key — in music
  24. current — of water

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