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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. shower — rain
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — in music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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