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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. date — the fruit
  5. key — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — for a lock
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — in a road
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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