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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pit — in a race
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — in a road
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. net — in sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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