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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. pop — soda
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. content — the amount
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pop — music
  11. present — there
  12. mate — a friend
  13. tube — a container
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — happy
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — to visit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. plane — a tool

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