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

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — the fruit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rock — music
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — in a road
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a document
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — to be able to

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