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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. last — finally
  16. track — a path
  17. last — final
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. track — a song
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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