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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bound — tied together
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bound — obliged
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bound — certain
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. plane — a tool

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