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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. clip — a video
  5. track — a path
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. clip — to cut
  11. object — an aim
  12. swing — music
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — magic
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — a short time
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. swing — to play on
  23. object — a thing
  24. fork — in a road

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