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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 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. scale — size or range
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — soda
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — the fruit
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. object — an aim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. object — a thing
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pop — to visit

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