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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — letters
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — high quality
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fine — all right
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spell — a short time
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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