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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. suit — clothes
  9. perch — the fish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pop — soda
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pop — music
  24. fork — to eat with

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