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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — in music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a hole
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — the amount
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stock — shares
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — happy
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the 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