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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. present — there
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — the time now
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bound — obliged
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. wake — before a funeral

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