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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. club — a group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. last — final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — to go on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. club — for golf

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