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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 116 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. craft — boats
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. fork — to eat with

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