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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. swing — music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. track — a song
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — a path
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. swing — in golf
  23. kid — child
  24. fork — a garden 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