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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. clip — a video
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. march — music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pit — a hole

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