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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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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 · wind · pit · stick · bark · bound · key · spell

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — letters
  6. key — in music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — certain
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bound — obliged
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bark — to shout

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