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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — for pool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — a match
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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