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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — there
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — certain
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — tied together
  21. present — the time now
  22. hand — help
  23. present — a gift
  24. fork — a garden 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