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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — in a road
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — to fit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — a gift
  10. ground — a position
  11. present — there
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. net — for catching
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. net — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. present — the time now
  21. wake — a trail
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — in a prison

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