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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitch — completely
  15. current — electric
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. kick — in football
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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