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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — in sport
  10. file — a tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — army training
  19. season — of the year
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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