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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rock — music
  3. suit — clothes
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — after costs
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. degree — temperature
  15. suit — to fit
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. game — a match
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. suit — in cards
  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