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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — a stick
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — in a road
  8. net — for catching
  9. staff — employees
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool

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