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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
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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: drill · key · wind · scale · date · ground · craft · bark

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ground — a position
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. scale — size or range
  9. drill — army training
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wind — moving air
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bark — of a tree

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