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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — government
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. march — the month
  23. chip — for betting
  24. coach — a trainer

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