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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rest — a break
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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