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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bank — for money
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — an amount
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — the sport
  24. degree — from a university

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