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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.

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: march · bark · mouse · cue · current · calf · key · coach

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. march — the month
  19. current — of water
  20. key — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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