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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fork — in a road
  6. present — there
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. present — the time now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. present — a gift
  22. club — a group
  23. row — a line
  24. plane — an aircraft

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