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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a partner
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spell — magic
  11. court — of a king
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. saw — the tool
  22. court — of law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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