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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — in music
  24. object — an aim

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