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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — all right
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wave — of the sea

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