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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: bay · lean · firm · key · bark · bore · ground · deal

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. key — in music
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ground — the earth
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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