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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pit — in a race
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. safe — out of danger

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