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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.

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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. net — for catching
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — in sport
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. fork — in a road
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — a thing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — to drill

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