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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. key — in music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. key — for a lock

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