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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. object — a thing
  3. mate — a friend
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — in music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bark — to shout
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a partner

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