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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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