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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: calf · toast · march · tear · ball · fork · date · snap

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. march — the month
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. march — music
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a great time
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ball — a dance

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