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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: fork · snap · rock · game · bark · leaves · content · dip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. rock — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to click
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bark — to shout
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rock — a stone
  24. dip — to dunk

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