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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fine — high quality
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — the underground
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — of water
  16. row — a line
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — a container
  19. current — happening now
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. racket — for tennis

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