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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. club — a group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — to shout
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. row — a line
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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