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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. club — for golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. race — humankind
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — certain
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — obliged
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. can — to be able to
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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