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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — a phone
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cell — in biology

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