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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — in a road
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. game — a match
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — thin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wave — with your hand

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