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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. capital — a city
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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