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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fork — in a road
  4. dip — to sink
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a document
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pop — music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a tool
  22. row — a line
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. nail — for a hammer

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