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

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chest — a box

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