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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — of a king
  16. suit — to fit
  17. present — a gift
  18. court — for sport
  19. present — there
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of law
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fan — a supporter

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