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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — a weight
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. suit — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — the amount
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — videos and posts

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