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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — crushed
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — to bear

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