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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cap — a lid
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a ring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bound — certain

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