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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · fork · pit · kid · can · key

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. key — in music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — child
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fork — in a road

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