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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — in a road
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. file — a tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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