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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — a match
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. game — wild animals
  10. content — the amount
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cue — for pool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a signal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. pound — a weight
  18. content — happy
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. cue — a hint
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — for dogs

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