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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rest — a break
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bear — the animal

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