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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 116 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — obliged
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bound — tied together
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — certain
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. scale — in music
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bowl — a dish

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