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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — for paper
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. track — a song
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — a path
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — to rip
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

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