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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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Word bank
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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: bark · date · rush · straw · fork · bass · ruler · calf

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rush — hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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