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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of a king
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mug — a face
  16. rush — hurry
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — a cup
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — the fish

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