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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — of your body
  18. key — in music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — for light

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