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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — in music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — for a lock
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — a container
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. club — a group
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fork — in a road

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