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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — soda
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wind — moving air
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pop — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. board — a committee
  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