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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — to protest
  10. degree — temperature
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. object — a thing
  16. court — of law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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