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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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Word bank
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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fork — in a road
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. club — a group
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. present — there
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ball — a great time
  21. degree — temperature
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for golf
  24. key — the most important part

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