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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fork — in a road
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. current — electric
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — to shout
  13. track — a song
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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