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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — in a road
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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