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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. present — a gift
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — the most important part
  12. file — a document
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — for a lock
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. file — a 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