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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wound — an injury
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — in sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. object — to protest
  20. fork — in a road
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. net — for catching

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