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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. scale — in music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — a garden 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