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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. last — finally
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — a skill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — boats
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bark — to shout
  22. court — of a king
  23. last — to go on
  24. craft — a handicraft

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