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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 120 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a match
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — a series
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — in golf
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — in music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — for a lock
  18. net — for catching
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. swing — music

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