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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — in a road
  3. key — for a lock
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — clothes
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. suit — in cards
  19. key — in music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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