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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. sharp — clever
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — army training
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fork — a garden tool

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