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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for golf
  5. cue — a hint
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — rain

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