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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cue — a hint
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. race — the arms race
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kick — in football
  15. race — a contest
  16. key — in music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a line

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