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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — to shout
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — in music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — a garden tool

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