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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: tear · bat · fork · rest · dip · pop · mouse · mark

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. mark — a grade
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pop — to visit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rest — what's left

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