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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — in a road
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bowl — a football final

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