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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. firm — a company
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. charge — electricity
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chair — a leader
  20. charge — in control
  21. firm — decided
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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