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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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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: fork · cue · sharp · march · row · spell · wax · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spell — a short time
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — in a road
  11. roll — a cake
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — magic
  20. row — a line
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a hint

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