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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — in a road
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — bread
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. racket — for tennis

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