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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fork — in a road
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — decided
  8. rock — a stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — steady
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — to shout
  20. key — in music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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