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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spell — letters
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bass — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pass — a permit
  24. can — a tin

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