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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: bark · bowl · fine · fork · ruler · roll · present · bat

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — the time now
  10. roll — a list
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fine — all right
  24. present — there

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