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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pound — a weight
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. game — wild animals
  9. file — a line of people
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. game — a match
  14. suit — to fit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. file — a document
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chair — a leader
  24. foot — part of the body

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