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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. snap — to click
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fork — in a road
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spring — the season
  20. bass — the fish
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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