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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. shower — rain
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — a face
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — to visit
  20. current — electric
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — happening now
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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