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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: snap · deal · fork · bass · can · march · prune · straw

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. march — music
  10. snap — to click
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — to trim
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  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