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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — an aim
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — to protest
  24. prune — to trim

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