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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — in music
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — in a road
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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