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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: key · bark · land · mouse · firm · racket · press · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. press — to push
  7. key — the most important part
  8. land — to come down
  9. firm — steady
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. bark — to shout
  20. firm — a company
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. firm — decided
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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