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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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