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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chest — a box
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a word
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chip — for betting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. root — the cause
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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