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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cold — an illness
  8. key — the most important part
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — in music
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — for a lock
  16. season — of the year
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — the animal

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