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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. can — a tin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — a price
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spell — a short time
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — a skill
  22. march — the month
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fork — in a road

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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