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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bore — to drill
  8. scale — in music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — in a road
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — the fish

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