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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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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. toast — bread
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cell — a phone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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