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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ground — a position
  19. fork — in a road
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. club — a group

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