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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fork — in a road
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. key — for a lock
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. key — in music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — the most important part
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — obliged
  19. toast — bread
  20. kid — child
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kid — to tease

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