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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spell — magic
  23. dip — to sink
  24. drill — the tool

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