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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — in a road
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — steady
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. firm — decided
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bark — to shout
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. chair — a professorship

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