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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — in sport
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — a company
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fork — to eat with

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