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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — tied together
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — music
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bound — certain
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. ground — crushed
  22. current — electric
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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