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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — an aim
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. rock — music
  12. scale — in music
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — 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