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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — there
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. game — wild animals
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — the time now
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — a match

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