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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. roll — a list
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — obliged
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. net — after costs
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ground — the earth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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