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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — to shout
  5. capital — a city
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pit — a hole
  19. march — music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — a garden 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