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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: rest · saw · fork · object · spell · pit · bear · swing

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. swing — in golf
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — an aim
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — letters
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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