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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — a gift
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — the time now

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