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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 116 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — farmland
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — a subject
  12. wind — moving air
  13. field — for sport
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. snap — to click
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — to eat with

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