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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pound — a weight
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. object — to protest
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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