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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — an aim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — the amount
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. court — of law
  15. perch — the fish
  16. drill — the tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — for sport
  21. content — happy
  22. object — a thing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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