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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — a thing
  12. file — a document
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — in music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fork — a garden tool

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