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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bass — the fish
  3. club — a group
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. march — music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. club — for golf
  12. march — the month
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. march — the month
  15. date — the fruit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ground — a position
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — to fit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — clothes

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