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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bore — to tire
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — a match
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — to shout
  12. swing — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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