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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: drill · band · key · pass · craft · bay · fork · rest

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. drill — a practice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — boats
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — a permit
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fork — a garden tool

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