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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a plant
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a leader
  9. firm — decided
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — steady
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. firm — a company
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fork — in a road
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. root — of a word
  24. toast — bread

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