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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — a break
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. club — for golf
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — to shout
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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