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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 120 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. track — a song
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — help
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. present — there

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