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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a song
  5. land — ground
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chip — to eat
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. land — to come down
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pit — a hole
  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