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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. dip — to sink
  8. swing — music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. swing — to play on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stock — goods
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — a face

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