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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. capital — money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. capital — a city
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. fork — in a road
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rock — a stone
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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