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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 · pound · bear · racket · object · row · scale · spring

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a line
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — to protest
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spring — of water
  21. object — a thing
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the animal

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