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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — to play on
  6. suit — in cards
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. swing — in golf
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. swing — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fork — in a road
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. ground — crushed

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