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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · bear · stick · bay · wake · fork · foot · deal

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — to eat with

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