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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — after costs
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — to trim

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