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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — the underground
  17. current — happening now
  18. kid — child
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — in a tire

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