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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fork — in a road
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — a subject
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chip — for betting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — size or range
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — for sport
  24. pound — a weight

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