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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — a group
  4. march — the month
  5. season — of the year
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a document
  11. perch — the fish
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. season — in sport
  18. file — a tool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a line of people

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