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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bark — to shout
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. march — music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. snap — to click
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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