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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — in a road
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a hint
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cue — for pool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. march — the month

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