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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pop — soda
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — a break
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. current — happening now
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. spell — magic

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