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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — army training
  7. field — a subject
  8. drill — the tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — farmland
  12. content — happy
  13. key — for a lock
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — a practice
  20. key — in music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — videos and posts

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