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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — a list
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. march — music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — the underground
  15. scale — in music
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tube — a container
  21. present — there
  22. march — the month
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — the time now

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