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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — to shout
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — a committee
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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