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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 · stem · bark · track · wake · capital · nail · key

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — money
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — a city
  24. nail — on a finger

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