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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — a position
  4. drill — a practice
  5. land — to come down
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — army training
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — for golf
  15. ground — the earth
  16. land — ground
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fork — in a road

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