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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — a container
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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