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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chest — a box
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fork — a garden tool

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