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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — to drill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bore — to tire
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — in geometry

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