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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — a tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. perch — the fish
  8. net — for catching
  9. bore — to drill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — in sport
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. field — for sport
  24. band — a music group

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