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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.

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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. court — for sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — a thing
  13. kid — to tease
  14. court — of law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — to protest
  21. roll — a list
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. object — an aim

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