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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — to be able to
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — a loud noise

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