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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. land — ground
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — in a road
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fine — high quality
  16. degree — temperature
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a path
  19. degree — from a university
  20. land — to come down
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. land — a country
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — for pool

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