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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: jam · lean · march · cue · row · bear · suit · fork

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lean — to bend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. march — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. march — the month
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — thin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. suit — to fit
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fork — in a road

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