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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — a song
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a path
  16. march — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ground — crushed

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