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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: game · bass · scale · fork · bowl · bear · bay · clip

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. game — a match
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — low 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