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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ground — a position
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ground — crushed
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fork — in a road

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