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

Word bank: stick · fork · track · hand · wind · key · cabinet · ruler

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — help
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. key — for a lock
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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