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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a round shape

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