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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. fork — in a road
  4. object — an aim
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — to grow
  9. shower — to wash
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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