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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — low music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. march — music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bulb — for light
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — a garden tool

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