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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — in sport
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — for catching
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. staff — employees
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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