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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. last — finally
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. last — to go on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. last — final
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bear — to put up with

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