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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pop — soda
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pop — music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — for dancing
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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