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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — in football
  3. kid — to tease
  4. club — for dancing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. club — for golf
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. club — a group
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stand — to bear
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — the tool

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