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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. track — to keep track
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tear — from crying
  23. track — a path
  24. tear — to rip

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