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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 120 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: file · racket · bear · key · rash · present · fork · last

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a document
  8. last — to go on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — in music
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — finally
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — final
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — the time now
  24. rash — hasty

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