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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fork — in a road
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. clip — for paper
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. clip — a video
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — a 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