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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — letters
  23. track — a path
  24. spell — magic

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