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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — electric
  11. ball — a dance
  12. can — a tin
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. vault — a safe
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. firm — decided
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — in a road
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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