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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.

Make a worksheet

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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to sink
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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