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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: toast · deal · race · fork · rock · content · plane · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — the amount
  3. race — humankind
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. toast — bread
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. deal — to handle
  23. content — happy
  24. rock — music

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