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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 124 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — for pool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. toast — bread
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitch — completely
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cue — a hint
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mate — a friend

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