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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fork — in a road
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. snap — to click

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