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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. file — a document
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. fork — in a road

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