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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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Word bank
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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cold — not warm
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cold — an illness
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. fork — in a road
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — the tool

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