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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — certain
  10. court — of law
  11. bark — to shout
  12. present — there
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. object — to protest
  18. fork — in a road
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bound — tied together

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