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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — to shout
  17. field — a subject
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. field — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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