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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pound — a weight
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — a trail
  16. spring — of water
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fork — a garden 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