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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lean — thin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pop — soda
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — 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