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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — the time now
  24. fork — in a road

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