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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: content · hand · fan · stick · pass · fork · roll · foot

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. content — happy
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — help
  24. content — the amount

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