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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. row — to paddle
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — clothes
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — army training
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. track — a song
  16. row — a line
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — a path
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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