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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. present — the time now
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — low music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. rash — hasty
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — there

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