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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fork — in a road
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. season — of the year
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — the fish
  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