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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 116 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: deal · kid · fork · cue · tear · content · object · fine

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. object — to protest
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. object — an aim
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. kid — child
  11. tear — to rip
  12. content — happy
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. content — the amount
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cue — a hint
  21. kid — to tease
  22. object — a thing
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fine — all right

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