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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bear — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. band — a ring
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. foot — a measure
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a music group

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