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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stand — to bear
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — in a road
  23. track — a song
  24. safe — a strongbox

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