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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. mark — a grade
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — to eat with

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