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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — for sport
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pop — to visit
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — rain
  20. field — a subject
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pop — soda
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. ruler — a monarch

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