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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. content — the amount
  5. fork — in a road
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. current — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. band — a music group
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stock — goods
  23. content — happy
  24. stock — a soup base

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