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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 120 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a signal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. row — a line
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — in a road
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to tire
  19. club — a group
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — for pool

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