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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 · firm · lash · craft · perch · pass · march · fork

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. firm — decided
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. firm — a company
  12. craft — a skill
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fork — in a road
  17. march — music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. pass — a permit

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