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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: bowl · march · key · cue · staff · wake · cabinet · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. march — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. key — the most important part
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. march — the month
  24. bowl — to roll

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