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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — a series
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — happy
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. content — the amount
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rash — hasty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fork — to eat with

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