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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. key — in music
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — for a lock

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