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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — to protest
  6. face — to point toward
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to confront
  10. content — happy
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. fork — in a road
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — to eat with

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