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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rash — a series
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — a signal

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