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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cue — a hint
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — for pool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. game — a match
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — a division
  17. game — wild animals
  18. current — of water
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — army training

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