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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pitch — completely
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. net — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. kick — in football
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. band — a music group
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — after costs

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