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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — the amount
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. file — a tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. file — a line of people
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a document
  21. content — happy
  22. suit — clothes
  23. perch — the fish
  24. content — videos and posts

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