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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — in a road
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. can — to be able to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of law
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of a king
  24. can — a tin

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