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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. field — for sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — army training
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tube — a container
  23. field — farmland
  24. bark — to shout

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