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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. object — an aim
  3. land — ground
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — a group
  11. land — to come down
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — from a university
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fork — in a road
  19. content — the amount
  20. land — a country
  21. content — happy
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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