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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — for golf
  3. pass — a permit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — in a road
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. club — a group
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a line
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. content — the amount

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