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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — help
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — low music
  15. drill — army training
  16. key — the most important part
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. drill — the tool

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