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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. court — of law
  11. ground — a position
  12. kick — in football
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — in a road
  17. court — of a king
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — a tin

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