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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a music group
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — the fish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — to protest
  15. pop — music
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — an aim
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. object — a thing
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — to drill

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