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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — to shout
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — letters
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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