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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · bay · can · leaves · bowl · kid · prune · pass

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — child
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. prune — to trim
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — in a road

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