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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. chip — to eat
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. firm — decided
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. club — a group
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. firm — steady
  15. club — for golf
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. club — for dancing
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — a sports field

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