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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. firm — a company
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — steady
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a ring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ball — a great time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — decided
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ball — a round shape

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