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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rock — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mate — to breed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. clip — a video
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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