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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. scale — in music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. clip — to cut
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. clip — a video
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. snap — to click
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — to rob
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fork — to eat with

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