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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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Word bank
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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: pit · saw · bear · ball · key · capital · cue · fork

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — money
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pit — in a race
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — in a road
  22. capital — a city
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — the tool

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