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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — the fruit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — in a road
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. net — for catching
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. date — on the calendar

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