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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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cue — a hint
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. key — in music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — for a lock
  23. shower — rain
  24. hide — animal skin

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