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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — of a river
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for golf
  8. pop — soda
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. staff — a stick
  15. club — a group
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fork — in a road
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — music
  24. staff — employees

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