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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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. branch — a division
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pit — a hole
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. rash — hasty
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. plane — a 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