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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. object — a thing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. net — after costs
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a path
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to click
  13. net — in sport
  14. track — a song
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — to protest

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