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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: deal · can · fork · stick · key · bat · court · craft

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. can — to be able to
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. key — the most important part

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