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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rest — a break
  13. craft — boats
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rest — what's left
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pit — a hole
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — dry grass

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