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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.

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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 · rest · wake · dip · pop · wind · march · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. pop — music
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. march — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — soda
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — to eat with

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