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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fork — in a road
  8. degree — temperature
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — clothes

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