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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. last — final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — to go on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — farmland
  13. fork — in a road
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — a subject
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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