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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — the month
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. march — the month
  8. content — the amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — wild animals
  12. march — music
  13. content — happy
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. game — a match
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — child

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