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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bat — the animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pit — a hole
  13. object — a thing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. pit — in a race
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — an amount

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