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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. march — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rule — a law
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. march — the month
  16. last — to go on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. craft — boats
  20. last — final
  21. rule — government
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — in a road

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