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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. scale — size or range
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kick — in football
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. row — a line

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