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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 124 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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