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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: kid · fork · bark · firm · craft · pass · saw · jam

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — a permit
  6. craft — boats
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. firm — steady
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. kid — child

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