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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. capital — a city
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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