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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a match
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rest — what's left
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a partner
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — wild animals

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