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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — child
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hand — in cards
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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