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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — a group
  3. net — after costs
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. net — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — an aim
  10. bass — low music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. race — the arms race
  13. object — a thing
  14. race — humankind
  15. object — to protest
  16. net — for catching
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bass — the fish
  19. club — for golf
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. race — a contest
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fork — in a road

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