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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wake · shower · saw · present · toast · pitcher · fork

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — there
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — bread
  24. saw — the tool

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