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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — a subject
  5. face — part of the head
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. face — to confront
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fork — a garden tool

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