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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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468
Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — the month
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. march — music
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — a box
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chest — of your body
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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