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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — in a road
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — a face
  24. spell — magic

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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