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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cue — for pool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. march — the month

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