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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. march — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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