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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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