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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. squash — to crush

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