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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — for catching
  9. toast — bread
  10. bark — to shout
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rash — a series
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a round shape

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