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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — the animal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fork — in a road
  11. band — a ring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country

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