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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in biology
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. suit — clothes
  12. game — a match
  13. ball — a great time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cell — a phone
  24. racket — a loud noise

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