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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — a tin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. chip — for betting
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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