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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — happening now
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. court — of law
  24. rush — to hurry

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