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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. spring — a coil
  5. last — finally
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — in music
  9. last — to go on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spring — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. last — final

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