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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — in a road
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — goods
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. season — of the year
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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