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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fork — in a road
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — in music
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. shower — rain
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fork — a garden 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