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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. court — of law
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — the fruit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — an aim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. craft — boats
  17. object — a thing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — for sport

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