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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. game — a match
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. face — to confront
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fine — all right
  24. bark — of a tree

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