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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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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: toast · net · cue · mouse · fork · pop · dip · roll

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — soda
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — for catching
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — after costs
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. toast — bread
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. dip — to sink
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. roll — a list
  24. net — in sport

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