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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. capital — a city
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — to get on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. capital — money
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — a committee
  24. ball — a dance

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