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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 116 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. court — of law
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. track — a path
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — to keep track
  18. pit — a hole
  19. track — a song
  20. fork — in a road
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. court — for sport
  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