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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. game — wild animals
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. game — a match
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. content — happy
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. content — the amount
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. coach — a trainer

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