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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: bowl · firm · key · present · drill · leaves · bark · track

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — to keep track
  5. firm — a company
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. track — a path
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — a gift
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — a song
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. bark — to shout
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — the time now

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