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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a face
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fork — a garden 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