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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. date — the fruit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. charge — in control
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — in a road
  23. club — for golf
  24. arm — a part of something

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