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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. march — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rock — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — of law
  19. pop — music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — the fish
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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