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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — steady
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — decided

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