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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. 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. deal — an agreement
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. 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